Two Hundred Million Bounty

"What did you call me for?"

Garp picked his nose as he strolled into the Fleet Admiral's office, then casually found a place to sit.

"You bastard! This is something you have to handle personally."

Sengoku handed Garp Gato's file.

After reading it, Garp laughed so hard that tears came out, repeatedly slapping his thigh.

"Hahahaha! Never thought you'd miscalculate like this too, Sengoku."

Seeing that Sengoku was about to fly into a rage again, Garp quickly changed the subject.

"Leave this kid to me. I was just planning to visit East Blue and see my grandson."

Sengoku clenched his fists before finally lowering them weakly. His old friend truly gave him no peace of mind.

After thinking it over, Sengoku instructed him, "If you go, that kid definitely won't be able to escape. Don't kill him. Bring him here. Even if we have to brainwash him, make him join the Marines."

Sending Garp after Gato was not only to ensure nothing could go wrong, but also because Gato's talent had stirred Sengoku's desire to recruit him.

Only if Garp acted could they bring Gato back while still holding back. It would not be safe to leave this matter to anyone else—not even the three Admirals, or Sengoku himself.

Gato could operate underwater for extended periods. What if he sensed something was wrong and simply jumped into the sea to escape?

It had to be said that Garp was the pillar of the Marines. He had no shortcomings or weaknesses in battle. Not only was he stronger than Logia Admirals, he also lacked their weaknesses as Devil Fruit users—the fear of seawater and Seastone.

Unfortunately, his two pirate grandsons were a hidden danger...

Before Gato defeated Drake, he had not been worth Sengoku putting so much effort into recruiting. After all, a Devil Fruit ability was just an ability; whether one could ultimately become strong depended on one's own spirit.

Now, Gato had proven his abilities. He had proven how far he could rise. If he joined the Marines, then given time, he would surely become another pillar of the Marines.

That was why Sengoku was no longer willing to kill him.

Since Gato had held back when fighting Drake, it showed that the conflict between them had not reached the point of no return. Anything was still possible.

Even if Gato truly harbored deep evil, it would not matter. Once he was brought to Marine Headquarters, would he not be entirely at their mercy? Vice Admiral Tsuru could cleanse the heart; she specialized in dealing with bad people.

"Oh, right. Issue his bounty first. As for the amount—two hundred million."

When Sengoku was working, he really did not want to see his carefree old friend, so he quickly ordered him to get lost before Garp angered him any further.

If Garp was taking action, there had been no need at all to issue a bounty for Gato. But Sengoku feared that, before Garp arrived, the Marine bases below might do something foolish and provoke Gato. That would truly be sending men to their deaths.

Although Gato had held back, he was still a pirate. No matter how Sengoku looked at it, he could not rest easy.

Sengoku truly deserved the title of "Strategist." Once he became serious, he arranged everything flawlessly, without a single oversight.

First, this would prevent needless casualties among the East Blue Marines. Second, it would reduce the resistance to recruiting Gato into the Marines. After all, Gato was ultimately still a pirate.

The reason Sengoku could recruit Gato with a clear conscience was that Gato had not done anything evil. Every time he acted, it had only been in self-defense. If Gato had truly killed Marines and Sengoku still tried to recruit him, Sengoku himself would not be able to accept it, let alone face opposition from within the Marines.

The facts proved that Sengoku's planning had indeed been flawless. Gato had only recently gone to sea, and there had been three youths traveling with him. Drake had reportedly vanished without a trace, which was highly suspicious.

As for the destruction of the Arlong Pirates, Gato had acted too swiftly, so only a few people knew about it for the time being. The news had not yet reached the Marines. After all, Arlong Park was not like the mixed crowd at Baratie.

If Sengoku had known this news, he would have been even more firm in his decision.

No one knew why Gato had held back, but he certainly did not mind killing. If those brainless Marines below angered him, things might become irreparable.

"W-What? There must be some mistake! Two hundred million?!"

Garp picked at his nose and said impatiently, "Would I be wrong? Hurry up and pass the order down. Have them make the wanted posters and release them to the public. Hmm... send more to East Blue."

Though Garp was usually unrestrained, he was actually quite wise. He easily grasped his old friend's intentions, the tacit understanding born from their many years as partners.

Similar cries of shock soon echoed throughout the Marine bases. When news of Gato's bounty reached the Marine bases in East Blue, the Marines there felt as though they could barely breathe.

What did two hundred million mean? In the middle section of the first half of the Grand Line, Bellamy could proudly boast over a bounty of fifty or sixty million. Even some of the renowned Seven Warlords of the Sea had only bounties of around one hundred million before joining the World Government.

Two hundred million was the kind of bounty the pirate rookies known as the Worst Generation generally possessed only after reaching the end of the first half of the Grand Line—the Sabaody Archipelago. Even in the New World, such a bounty was nothing to be ashamed of.

And now they were being told that such a powerful figure was in their waters. The East Blue Marines were panicking.

Very soon, every Marine at the East Blue branch base was gathered together and informed of the news.

"Gato is extremely dangerous. Do not engage him in any direct conflict! However, we must track his movements and prepare for Vice Admiral Garp's operation."

The moment they heard the words "Vice Admiral Garp," the Marines immediately erupted into commotion.

Garp's position among the Marines was like Roger's among pirates. The two were opposing legends. Hearing that Garp was coming, these Marines were filled with passion, practically itching to go find trouble with Gato so that Garp might remember them.

"Remember this—don't say I didn't warn you! Under no circumstances, absolutely no circumstances, are you to approach him directly. His bounty is—two hundred million Beli!"

The words "two hundred million Beli" were like a bucket of icy water suddenly poured over the heads of the fired-up Marines.

Right, that was two hundred million Beli. Otherwise, why would Headquarters send Vice Admiral Garp to support them? These Marines should just mind their own business.

Colonel Mouse, who had long worked with Arlong, did not yet know that Arlong's crew had already been wiped out. He could only stare at the glaring two hundred million marked on the wanted poster, and at how vicious Gato looked in the image.

"N-No, I have to tell Arlong about this guy. If he fails to recognize the situation and gets himself wiped out, I won't be living as comfortably as I am now."

Colonel Mouse was quite loyal, of course—mainly because Arlong's bribes made him loyal. If he knew Gato was nearby right now, he would not go even if it killed him.

After all, money was still less important than his life.